8am: Five years after the Taliban’s takeover, members of the Ismaili community in Badakhshan say they are facing a wave of religious, educational and social restrictions. According to the findings of this report, at least 10 jamaat khanas (Ismaili prayer and community centers) belonging to Ismailis have been closed in several districts of this province, more than 340 Ismaili children in five districts of Darwaz have been sent to Taliban religious schools, and at least seven cases of forced religious conversion have been documented among members of this community. Ismaili residents of Badakhshan also speak of pressure to convert, security threats, restrictions on cultural activities, and rising migration of families to neighboring countries and to Kabul. Click here to read more (external link).
